ELMORE CITY, OK—Necessity, it seems, is not the mother of invention. Motherhood is. That was the brainchild of Anne Marie Ring, Executive Vice President of Customer Experience at Old Glory Bank, the catalyst behind Old Glory Bank's novel Ambassador Program.
"Many women I know were highly successful and super-achievers before they put their careers on hold to raise their children," Ring explains. "They're ready to return to the corporate workforce, but only if their work really matters."
As Ring tells it, Old Glory Bank was the work that really mattered to her. A successful corporate attorney, 17 years ago, she walked away to raise her two children. Her time outside the home over the prior years had been spent volunteering at her kids’ school, church, and various non-profits. Then, when she helped start Old Glory Bank (an FDIC-insured, chartered bank, with customers in all fifty states), she took on the difficult role of building the Customer Experience department.
"We each know brilliant women that want to return to the workforce, but only if their work is worthwhile and makes a difference," explains Monica Kutz, who manages the Ambassador Program for Old Glory Bank, and who used to do large-scale implementations for Accenture prior to staying home to raise her three boys. “That’s what we have at Old Glory Bank. We are part of something special and love working with patriotic Americans who share our values,” says Kutz. "It’s no secret that moms who juggle kids, households, and work, have advanced communication and problem-solving abilities, so we bring the perfect skill set to customers."
The passionate moms who launched the Old Glory Bank Ambassador Program, have brought their deep understanding of faith, community, and motherhood to the Old Glory Bank family. These women were once fast-tracked up the corporate ladder and now use their skills and experience to serve members of Old Glory Nation.™
"It's amazing how many customer challenges can be solved with mom logic," explains Shannon Holden, Senior Director of Customer Experience & Communications at Old Glory Bank. "No matter what is happening on the other end of the phone with a customer, each of us has experienced something similar, so we always revert to our ‘mom logic’…. and problem solved."
Mom logic. Just what the banking world needs.
As Old Glory Bank has grown, so has the Ambassador Program. With some of the initial members now in leadership positions, the Ambassador team now counts among its members younger women who were just beginning their careers at other banks and were encouraged by other employees to join Old Glory Bank. “The wisdom, thoughtfulness, and care these women bring from their households to Old Glory Bank weaves the fabric of exemplary customer service with the experience of the newer team members,” explains Jennifer Smith, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience & Product at Old Glory Bank, who managed training programs for call centers, prior to staying home to raise her son. “It has been incredible to watch this original group build a relationship with our newer teammates, combining many years of life experience and banking experience, which has turned into a Mary / Martha relationship where both groups are spurring one another on."
Old Glory Bank currently has nine brilliant women in the Ambassador Program and Ring believes that “future members will likely include military spouses.” When asked if a man could join the Ambassador Program, Ring quips “I hope to meet a man that could keep up!”
